Fractured
by special-buddy-zip
Summary: What happens when the life that you know if taken from you. You simply fracture. This story follows the storyline from 'New Addition' somewhat. It's all about what everyeone will do to fix what has been broken.
1. Chapter 1

The shrill sound a telephone could be heard through the thin walls. It rang for about ten minutes before the shrilling stopped only to start up again two minutes later. Loud groans were heard throughout the apartment complex followed by fist pounding against the wall and loud shouts telling the idiot inside to pick up the phone. It wasn't until the phone stopped ringing then they went back to their normal lives, not at all once putting a single thought to the real reason why the phone hadn't been picked up. No one took time to go check on the person who lived there. They just simply went back to their normal lives.

Max swore as she began to pace along the hallway. Logan shot her a glance, watching her movement for a few minutes while trying to upload some new software. She swore again as she flicked her cell phone shut. She took a few seconds to take a minute to breathe before she dialed the number again. She then was back to pacing. It was then that Logan took the moment to interrupt the transgenic. "Hey, Max, just let him be," he said to her, as he finished uploading the program and started to get to work, his fingers flying over the keys. "You need to…"

"Logan you tell me to relax one more time, and I'm going to have to hurt you," Max replied as she glanced over at him. She had once been head over heels for him. Now not so much. It had taken a back seat to everything else that was going on at Terminal City. She let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. She caught the end of it and simply glanced at it. She could see split ends but she didn't have time to even think about them right now. She had other important issues to deal with. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed the number one more time.

A knock on the door stopped her from pacing. She glanced up to see a woman standing there. She rolled her eyes as she moved past her, listening to the phone. The woman shot her a look before moving toward Logan's side. "What's up with Max?" she asked, as she set down the bag of groceries she had been carrying. "She seems…"

"It's Alec," Logan replied, as he slowly got to his feet and went over to see what she had. He watched her out of the corner of the eye. He could see her facial expressions in the reflection of the window she was standing in front of. She had a mixed look on her face, one of terror and one of worry and concern.

"Like that's new," his companion muttered causing Logan to glance over in her direction. She had come a long way since he had found her on the streets trying to live. She had been his legs when he had been stuck in that god-awful wheel chair. She had been his companion and his friend when he needed one the most. She had been there when Max was not. "I mean come on. She's always muttering about how he is and what not." She picked up a loaf of bread out of the bag. "It might just be better for them to get it on and over with. That way there is not so much tension between the two of them anymore."

"Asha, eww…" Logan muttered, as he reached out and took the bag from the table. "That is something that I don't want to ever think about."

"What do you think happens when she's in heat?" Asha asked, glancing over at Logan. He had come a long way since the day she had first meet him. He had been so down by the fact that Max was no longer in his life. That she was gone. She had been there when Max tried to kill him and she would still be there for him no matter what happened between them. Her loyalties were with Logan, not Max, not her cause, not the transgenics.

"I so am not even going to think about that," Logan muttered. He shot a glance over to see that Max had stopped pacing. Her face had fallen. He took a step toward her. "Max, what is it?"

Max's head snapped up when she heard Logan's voice. She had zoned out when she had heard the news from Mole. News she didn't know how to take. She sniffled a bit, before she took a moment to collect her thoughts. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "It's nothing," she said softly, as she grabbed onto her coat where she had thrown it. She slipped it on, and headed for the door only to be stopped by Logan. "Logan, I don't have time for this. I have to go."

"Max stop." Logan grabbed her arm forcing her to stop. She shot him an arched look before yanking her arm out of his hold. "Max…!" She headed toward the door, digging for her keys as she went. "Max, he's not worth it."

At those words, Max stopped and slowly turned around to face him. "Funny the others would say the same thing about you." She flipped her hair over the collar of her jacket. "I'm sorry Logan that you think that we aren't spending enough quality time together. But in truth, my loyalties are not toward you and your cause anymore. I have my own to worry about."

"You were not born to lead an army." Logan stopped himself short. He watched as she stopped within inches of the door. He then watched as she went from one form to the other, slipping back into the hardcore Manticore solider she had been born and raised as. He watched as anger filled her eyes as she moved quickly from the door to stand in front of him. "Max, you and I both know that this war isn't going to end well."

"I remember some dude saying this once," she replied softly. Both Logan and Asha could hear the emotion tagged to that. "The night is always darkest before the dawn." She shot a glance over at Asha. "And unlike you guys, we live in the night. We know what is going to happen at dawn." She slid her hands into her back pockets. "Yes it's true, I never did ask to be their leader, but it's something that I can't turn down. I was made the way I am for a reason. I can't say that I'm actually proud to be from Manticore, but right now it's better than being some type of a run of the mill kid."

"Hey!" Asha replied as she moved toward Max. "What makes you all better than us?"

That got Max to chuckle. "Is it the fact that we're faster, stronger, and smarter than the rest of you."

"Careful Max," Logan whispered. She simply ignored him. She reached into the bag of groceries and pulled out an orange. He watched her play with it for a few moments before she turned to leave. "Max, we're not done talking."

"On the contrary, Logan, I was done talking a long time ago." Max opened the door and shot him a look. "You just haven't caught up yet."

"I have to ask this. What happened to Alec?"

"He got shot while trying to protect a group of school children from getting killed." Max slid the orange in her pocket. "Now we have to go find him before the rest of the world does."

That got Asha's head to snap up. "I thought he had visitation duties today." She shot Logan a questionable look. "I mean after all he is…"

"Pip's missing…" Max took a deep breath. She had seen how Logan grew jealous of them around when they were around Pip. He has envious of her and at the same time spite her. She had been the child of both her and Alec, not his and Max. She had then seen the darker side of him then. "Or even dead. I really don't want to think about the fact that I've lost one of my good friends and even my daughter." Logan and Asha shot a glance over at Max. "I have to go."

"Max…" Logan started only to stop when she stopped at the door. Her hand was mere inches from the door handle. "You and I both know that since the fight, you and Alec have grown farther apart than anything." He smirked then. "You guys are always fighting."

"And yet we're strongest when we are together." She bit down on her bottom lip before turning to gaze over at Logan. "And here I thought you'd be happy for me, for us. I know that this wasn't the life you envisioned for us." She shrugged then, taking a second to fix the collar of her jacket. "But it's not how life turned out. But both Alec and I know better than to abandon anyone behind. Pip is our child and we will do our best to protect her the best and only way that we know."

"And what way is that?" Logan shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You guys threw her into a war. She will never have a normal childhood."

That got Max to chuckle. "I'm sorry Logan, but look around. Normal is not a thing for the normal anymore. We all weren't born with a silver spoon." She opened the door then. "Pip's got a better childhood than we did. We're a family, Logan. It's not perfect but we're making it do."

"If you say so…"

"Yeah, I do say so." She slid through the door allowing it to shut as she went. She took a second after the door clicked shut behind her to catch her thoughts. She sniffled a bit before pushing away from the door, her hand sliding into her pocket for her cell phone. She had things to do. She had to do what she was born to do. She had to take charge of the situation and come out as the victor. She had to do this for Alec, and for Pip. They were family.

until next time...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The sound of rain hitting the window caused him to jerk awake. He tried to move his arms only to find that he could not. It wasn't that he couldn't move them, they were chained above his head. He shot a glance up and squinted to see if he could make out the chains, but could not. It was too dark for even his superior abilities to make out the chains in the pitch dark.

He tested his other limbs, finding out very quickly that he was bare foot. His toes slid into squishy mud, causing him to wince. He knew from the feel alone he had cuts along the flat bottom of his feet. He had taken many different kinds of abuse both on and off missions. He knew better than to let it slow him down. As a solider he had learned at a very young age to just grin and bare it.

He shivered then. It was very cold where ever he was at. He had little to no clothing at all. He tried not to think of the brand new coat he had just bought that was for sure long gone now. He took a deep breath only to wince as the pain came rushing through his body. He should have known better than to do that. He closed his eyes to the pain, letting his brain relax for a moment.

The sound of tree branches hitting a window, caught his attention. He turned his head slightly, trying to figure out which way it was. It might give him a chance to get out of here, wherever here was. He knew that it would not be easy, the chains were a problem for their own.

The sound of a door opening caught his full attention. He snapped his eyes open only to be blinded by a flash light. "It's good to see that our sleeping beauty is awake," a harsh voice sneered. Fingers prodded into his side causing him to wince. "It's good to see that your kind does feel pain."

"My kind?" Alec hissed out through the pain. He knew that there were people out there who still disliked hearing about Transgenics. They were a plaque when it came to the rest of the human race. "Oh, my kind."

"Shut up!" the man snapped only to slap Alec hard across the face. He felt his eyes roll into the back of his head. He knew that he would have a bruise there tomorrow, but at the moment, he knew that it was better than to say or do anything. "You do not have any right to speak in our presence, scum."

"Language," a female voice called out, a moment before Alec caught a whiff of her perfume. She had put it on too strong. He didn't expect to feel a hand on the side of his face. The touch felt cold and forced at the same time. She traced the line of his face before running her hands lower. "He is perfect."

"He is a killer, Darling," the man whispered to her, as she moved closer to Alec. He tried not to think of where her hands were going. To be honest, he was only turned on by one girl now. He had changed from the skirt chasing fool he had been a long time ago. He was almost ready to settle down and live life as that of a normal every day man who loved his family very much. "They were made to look that way. It's what's on the inside that makes them different."

"Oh?" she asked, as her hand went lower. Alec jumped slightly when she grabbed a certain part of his male anatomy. "Hmm, he feels the same to me." She gave him a slight squeeze before taking a step closer. "Maybe he'll get to show me what makes him special later."

"Darling, back off," the man hissed. He then swore. "I swear at times you have the 'itch' almost daily now."

She then snorted and chuckled. "That's cause you can't satisfy me." Alec blinked, almost wishing at the moment he was in the middle of a heater argument between Logan and Max. At least he knew where that was going to end up. She moved up his body, pressing a kiss on the side of his face. "But maybe he can."

"Darling, leave us…" the man hissed. Alec caught the tone and couldn't help but smirk. The man was jealous of how his lady was acting around him. "I have other ideas for this boy than just becoming your sex slave."

"But…" Darling started only to be cut off. She was then yanked away from Alec. "Fine, be that way. But after he kills you he is mine." Then she was gone.

The man then swore again before turning to face Alec. "Women…" he muttered as he took a step toward Alec. His eyes drifted along Alec's body, stopping at a few spots, causing him to shift his weight a bit. Alec was not a shy person, but the way the man was glancing at certain body parts made him uneasy. "But then again, maybe she has a good point." He shot Alec a smirk, as he moved closer to him. "There is something special about you."

"Leave him…" a voice snapped from the doorway causing the man to curse. Alec bit down on his bottom lip to keep from saying anything. "He is not here for your entertainment. Not of yours or that woman of yours. If you both want to still be alive tomorrow, I'd suggest you keep away from him. He's to remain untouched, untainted."

The man then snorted. "I don't see what's so important about him." He moved away from Alec then. "It's the girl that we were after, not him."

"Well think about that," the other man sneered. "I'm sure that he would do anything to make sure that the little girl stays alive. I'm sure he would hate to have to watch her die."

Alec's mind went racing at what was last said. He remembered Pip screaming his name before he had slid into the darkness. He had abandoned her to go save those kids and ended up getting them both kidnapped. He swore then, as he listened to the men leave, locking him in. It was official, Max was going to kill him if he got out of this one alive.

_until next time..._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The sound of a soft lullaby being sung drew her back from the brink of darkness. She slowly opened her eyes to only be blinded by the light over head. She cried out in pain, as she tried to curl back into the darkness, to get away from the bright light, to get away from the pain.

"Easy, baby girl," a voice whispered out through the pain. She didn't recognize it for it didn't belong to anyone she knew. She was good when it came to tagging the person with their voice. She was better at times then some of the others who had been trained to pick up on voices. "It's going to be okay."

"Where?" she started, only to be silenced by a hand over her lips. She felt movement beside her and knew better than to open her eyes and to over-react. She heard someone cry out in pain a second before she felt a body slam down hard into her side. She tried not to wince as pain came rushing through her entire body.

A loud scoff came from above her, causing her to slightly open her eyes. She could make out a very large form standing over her. Masculine by stature, it was far to big boned to be that of a female. The man above her reeked of bad body order and another smell, one she had often caught coming off some of the others after they had out on a night on the town, a mixed smell of bar smoke, cheap alcohol, and very tacky perfume. "She's pitiful," he said out loud. "She can't possibly be the one that they are after. She's just a child."

A tsking sound came from his companion, one who she did not see. "Do not let her child-like appearance fool you," he began as he moved closer. It was then that her eyes grew wide when she noticed who it was. "She is more powerful than she appears to be."

"Says you, Amos," the man grumbled, as he moved toward her companion. "I don't see why if she's so powerful to keep her alive. The bounty for her was dead or alive wasn't it."

"Not for her," Ames replied as he bent down next to her. She tried her best not to move away from him, as he reached out and touched the side of her face. "She's not the one we want to kill." He shot the man a harsh look. "Make sure the others can't get free." The man nodded before leaving them alone. It was only then that Ames turned his attention back on her. "Well it's been a long time since we've had some good alone time, 946. I've been looking forward to this for a very long time."

"Can't say that I have," she whispered back to him, causing him to smirk at her. A smile so evil, it would make many turn away in fear. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want." He reached out and toucher her again. "You've always known."

_Until next time..._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:** Here are a few things that I have forgotten to mention._

_The Pairing is Max/Alec, as it had been in 'The New Addition'. There isn't much Logan-bashing in this one. I don't think that it's call for._

_The Characters that were in 'The New Addition' will most likely be in this one...including the beloved '09ers, and some of the not loved bad guys._

_Hope you enjoy it..._

Chapter Four

Gem and Syl glanced up the moment that Max entered the infirmary. Syl quickly got to her feet and went to cut Max off. "Max…" she started softly. "You…"

"Do not tell me to remain calm," Max said glancing up at her fellow '09er. They had been through a lot since they all came back together. Some of them had ventured back to the lives that they had before venturing out to Terminal City. Max hardly if ever heard from Zach, but maybe that was what he wanted. He always seemed to have a hold on their whereabouts and knew how to contact them if something big came up. "Cause we all know that won't work right now."

"They're still recovering," she said softly, as she turned to face their fallen warriors. "They …"

"I know," Max replied just as soft. She had watched the newsfeeds about what had really gone done. Her guys had gone out of their way to help those children, when they didn't need to. It was what they were born to do. Help out those who are less fortunate then themselves. It was both a blessing and a curse when it came down to it. They had lost so many over the years cause of it. They had lost CeCe and a few others. "They did good."

"Max…" a voice hissed out through the pain, causing her to move away from Syl's side and make her way over to the wounded X-5. If she hadn't known who it was, she would never have been able to even guess. His entire body was bandaged. They had caught up with them on the way back to Terminal City and tried to burn some of them alive. A few got away and a few did not make it. He was one of the very few who had made it, if you count having almost all your entire body covered in third degree burns. "Any news?"

Max shot him a fake smile as she moved to his side. "Nothing yet, Biggs," she replied. "Don't worry about it. It's not your place to worry about it. We'll take care of this."

"I was his second…" Biggs hissed out through the pain. "I let him down. He got shot cause of…"

"That's enough," Max ordered softly. Syl's eyes went straight to her. "It was not your fault that he got shot. You've always done amazing when it comes to keeping him out of trouble. Do not blame this upon yourself, Biggs. Alec getting shot was his own doing."

"Yes, Ma'am," Biggs whispered, before closing his eyes and slipping back into the world of darkness, a world where he felt no plain.

"Status on the rest of them," Max said, not moving her eyes away from Biggs. They had all been through so much in the last few years. She had grown to trust Biggs just as much as Alec did. She tried not to think how they would react if Alec did not ever return. How much more difficult it maybe to move on, to survive the upcoming war they knew that was coming. "Anything?"

"We lost two of our best scouts," Syl started. "We have four who received second and third degree burns, and two who are missing."

"Two?" Max asked, her eyes moving away from the wounded to glance at the care-taker of them all. Gem had done good by her Manticore training to learn all that she could from the field meds and other doctors that she came across. She turned what used to be an empty barrack into a well sought out infirmary. They did their best to keep it stocked for times of need. Those who had high knowledge of field medicine or wanted to learn more, spent their free time here, volunteering under her watchful eye. "I thought it was just…"

"No…" Gem started with a shake. "Alec is the only one who's not come back." She then bit down on her bottom lip before turning her head slightly toward Syl. "I should get back to work and check on the others." She then excused herself, leaving the two 09'ers to talk.

"Who is the other one, Syl?" Max asked her, as she moved forward. She had thought she had known who all had gone off. Apparently she had been mistaken. "Syl?" She tried to rack her mind to think of who it was. "It's not Zach, he's not here anymore and neither is Brin. Haven't heard from Jondy in a while. So that leaves…"

"It was Zane…" Syl replied, keeping her gaze down. "I told him not to go, but he figured that there would be trouble and thought that Alec and the others could use his expertise."

"Yeah, and look where that ended him." Max shot her a harsh look. "Do not keep anything from me. It doesn't help in the end." Then she was gone.

Gem shot Syl a look as she came up to her side. "Did you tell her?" she asked her. Syl shook her head no. "What? Why? She seemed to be upset about something."

"Yeah, cause I lied and told her that it was Zane who was missing."

"But Zane isn't missing. It's…"

"I know…" Syl muttered. "If I told Max who it truly was, she would have killed me right here for letting him go after the incident. He wasn't ready for the field then, and sure as heck wasn't ready now. But he knew the risks and that's why he went. Now he's paying the ultimate price."

"I just hope that she finds them in time. If she doesn't and she ends up loosing them all, we might as well say goodbye. Cause the Max that we all know and love, will be no more."

"Yeah, let's all hope that never happens." They then turned and went back to work, checking bandages and making sure that their fallen weren't suffering anymore than they had to.

_until next time..._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was raining outside, the rain making large puddles on the broken street far below. He sat there trying to collect his thoughts. He knew that he would receive a beating if he would ever venture home. His entire body was in pain and he was bleeding from some of his old wounds. He had been put on strict restrictions from both Gem and Max to not to do any physical activities until he came back with a clean bill of health. It had been a horrible accident he barely lived through that caused his injuries. Zach even had shown up to give him a lecture about his actions. At the time he thought he had done right, but after everyone had lectured him, he had started to rethink his actions.

As he sat there, he let his mind take him back to what had happened. Maybe he had reacted first before thinking it all through. Now he was paying for his actions.

Three Months Ago - Terminal City Seattle

It had started out a rather cold, fall day. There was a threat of snow, but most had pushed it off, hoping that it would simply rain. It had snowed a while ago, leaving the streets packed with feet of the white stuff. Most had forgotten what it was like to be snowed in. For those who never knew what snow really was, it was a new experience. The young ones who ran in the underground tunnels of Termical City had thought it was the best gift to them ever. The older ones had watched over them as they had spent hours playing in it.

Pip and the other X-8's had gone out of their way to make up the ultimate snow fort for the upcoming snow ball war between the X-5's and the rest of TC. It was supposed to be something to get everyone at ease with life for the moment. But sadly that is not how it ended up. A day that started out with laughter ended with screams of terror and the white snow tainted red with blood of innocents.

It had started to snow in the midst of the battle. Some of the younger ones stopped in mid throw to glance up at the large flakes that were falling from the sky. Joshua was doing his best to try to catch as many as he possibly could on the tip of his tongue, running around like a young child, with his tongue stuck out. Some of the other young ones picked up on his actions and soon he had his own little pack following him. 

Logan and Asha were there, along with Sketchy and Original Cindy. Just there to have some kind of fun while the world around them fought. It was the '09ers who had started the ultimate snow ball war. Throwing snow balls at those who had no idea what a snow ball was. In a matter of seconds the war was on.

Sketchy was doing his best to try to tag one of the '09ers, while Cindy was doing here best to keep from getting hit. They had come a long way since they first found out that Max and Alec were X5's along with some of their other friends. At first Sketchy did not know what to say. He had stayed away from a few days, while he thought it over, but in the end, true friendship came over blood and D.N.A. Cindy had always been at Max's side since she had been saved by 'super-kick ass' Max a few months before. 

The others simply thought of them as one of their unit. True they were not from Manticore and didn't have the super strength, speed, or other fun X abilities that the majority of them had. So what if they were somewhat off on some days. Sketchy had never really fit in anywhere but here, among those the world took as rejects.

Max and Alec somehow ended up on the opposite side of Pip, Krit, and Zane. They soon were outnumbered as those who were once on their side, ventured over to the other side. Soon they were outnumbered, but they didn't care. They were having fun for the first time in a very long time. Not many were given the chance, now a days, to sit down and relax. The world seemed to make sure that it never happens. There is always some trauma, some enormous factor causing trouble.

In split seconds, the sound of laughter was quickly replaced by the sound of gunfire. The older ones quickly broke into action, barking out orders for the younger ones. They reacted without thinking, not even questioning it at all. They took off in a blur, heading for safety. They knew better than to stay there, adding to the problem at hand. Since they were little, they were trained to obey any order, no matter who it was given by. 

Max and Alec spun around, trying to pinpoint where the shots were being fired from. Max caught movement out of the corner of her eye, just a mili-second before she heard the cry of pain. She spun around seeing Pip skidding to a halt before rushing back to help a fallen X-9. The girl was crying, as she placed a hand over her side. Pip slide an arm around her, as she tried to help the older girl to her feet. 

The sound of a gun clicking caused the X-5's to glance behind them to see a large group of people rushing at them. Alec swore softly, before breaking into a defensive pose. He flicked a glance over at Max to see that she had done the same, but at the same time her attention was torn between the offending advancing army and those rushing to safety, including Pip.

"Mom!" Pip cried out, as a man jumped in front of her. Both she and the X-9 fell backwards in the snow. Her companion cried out in fear. She flicked a glance up at the man as he came toward them. "You don't want to do this."

"Oh, but I do," he replied, as he pointed his gun at Pip. "Trust me, I do."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Pip whispered slightly before moving toward the man. All he saw was a blur before she slammed a kick into the back of his knee, dropping him to the ground. He let out a cry of pain, as she swung out at him.

"Bit…" he started only to be hit over the head by the fallen X-9. He fell with a rather hard thud on the ground. Pip shot her companion a soft smile as she came up to her side. She slid an arm around her waist and started to help her get to safety.

"Max…" Zane called out to her, causing her to turn to see him fighting a group of rather large men. "Who invited these guys to crash our party?"

"Not me…" she threw back only to turn and freeze. The man on the other side of the fence had what looked like a rocket launcher. She swore softly, as she blurred toward some young ones still trying to get to safety. "Everybody down!"

The courtyard echoed as the rocket slammed into the building not far from Max. She felt the earth shake beneath her. Screams of pain filled the air. "Status Report!" Alec barked out, as the gunfire started yet again. "Don't these guys ever give up."

"Krit!" Pip screamed as she watched him fall. She left her companion with Gem before blurring to his fallen side. She slid in the snow next to his fallen body. "Krit?" He didn't even move when she pushed against his chest. "Krit?"

Upon hearing Pip's cry, Max turned her head to see Krit fall. The snow around him was covered in blood. Her world slowly started to fade. She had lost two many of her 'family' already. She didn't know what she would do if she lost anymore at the moment. She quickly turned her attention back to the advancing 'army'. She snorted softly to herself. She couldn't really call it an army…they weren't trained to be in the army. They weren't soldiers. Where she and her clan were born and trained to be soldiers, these idiots simply picked up a gun and thought of themselves as a solider. 

Alec made his way over to her side. "What you want us to do?" he asked her. When it came to leading, he left that up to Max, but he would always be her second, even through all that had happened between them. They always did good when it came to leading everyone into battle.

"Make them hurt…" she said softly. "Get them running." She shot him a look. "I don't want them here. I want them to be scared, to suffer…to…"

"Got it…" Alec barked orders and watched as the others went into actions. Within moments, the advancing 'army' was gone, running for the safety of their homes. Alec shot Max a smirk as he came back to her side. "Easy as…"

"Don't even say that," Max whispered to him. "We don't need to be jinxed." She slowly turned around to see that Pip was still by Krit's side, now joined by the medics, Gem and Syl. "Why did this happen?"

Alec shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know." He moved closer to her. "Maybe it's cause the normal world doesn't want to see any of us happy."

"Maybe…" Max shot him a look. "Let's get a damage report, and get back to work." They then took off to do just that. Slipping back into world of the Transgenic. Always on guard. Living for the moment.

He couldn't help but shiver. He had done right, going to save the young toddler from the upcoming barray of what looked to be concussion grenades. What he hadn't seen was the fact they had been using just more than that. He had gotten shot and stunned along with blown up. No wonder everybody was mad at him for what he had done, but at least he had protected the wee toddler.

He let out a deep breath, as he slowly got to his feet. A child's cry caught his attention and brought back memories as well. He had tried to save her, tried being the term. With his injuries, he was about as useful as a wet paper bag. He couldn't save her when she needed to be saved. He let her down. He had let everyone down, including Max. He let out a soft sigh, as he headed for the stairs. He might as well go face the music.

_until next time_

_thanks to all who have read this story._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Zach was trying to read the newspaper when she came in. He shot her a look when he saw that she was drenched to the bone. A look of worry quickly followed that. He had seen her looking like that before, back when she was sick, back when they had left her in Lydecker's hands. "You alright?" he asked her, as he set down the paper. "You look…"

"Wet," she answered for him, as she slowly stripped of her jacket. "This would be one of the reasons I don't like coming back to Seattle. It rains too much here." She then shot him a look. "I know what you're thinking, and no I am not sick. Well at least not that kind of sick. I may have the common cold, from being stuck outside in a cold, rainy area for a few days, but I'm not that kind of sick."

"Well that's good to hear." He went to pick up the paper when he froze at an article. He cursed softly before getting to his feet. "Get your gear."

"Max again?" she asked, as she did what he told her to do. She ventured over to glance at the article that had caught his attention. She shook her head. "That could mean any of them."

"It's Max, trust me." He slid on his jacket, shaking his head slightly. "I thought I told them all to behave."

"It is Max…" She faintly smiled. "When was the last time she followed one of your orders?"

Zach couldn't help but sigh. She was right. Of all those who had been under his command, Max turned out to be the only one who questions his judgments. He somewhat blames it for those she live and worked with. He never really understood the urge to be like everyone else. He had came to liking being an X-5, nowhere near being like any human out there. He had been through hell, and still came out swinging. He shot a look over at his companion. She had come along way too. After the take down of Manticore, he had found her hired out as an assassin. He had kidnapped her and broke her off the brain wash. It had been months, but it was worth it. She was somewhat back to the Brin that he remembered, the Brin that he cared for.

"The day that she does follow my orders, is the day the world as we know it, falls to pieces," he threw out as he headed for the door. Even with all the trouble that she faced, Max always seemed to come out in the end. She may lose a few in her command, but she still came out somewhat on top in the end. He then paused at the door. "She has come a long way. She's learned the pain of losing those close to her. You have to give her some credit."

"I will give her credit the day the world does not come crashing down around us." Brin fixed the color of her jacket. She still dressed somewhat in military clothing. There were a few things that she would never grow out of. She looked and acted like a solider than anything else. She had found Max rather annoying. She didn't follow orders and went out of her way to cause trouble. She drew unwanted attention to herself, while the others had learned to live in the shadows, living their lives day by day, not drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

Zach couldn't help but chuckle then. "Now be nice." He couldn't help but smile. He held the door open for her, closing it behind them. "After this, I think a vacation in the south is called for."

"Anywhere it's not raining all month." Brin then took the lead.

"Sounds like a great plan." He then followed her. It would be a long, cold ride to get to where Max was. But it had to be done. He would not leave her to face the world alone. She was still under his command. She may not be his second in command anymore, but she still was part of his unit.

_until next time_

thanks for reading


	7. Chapter 7

I want to give a special thanks to those who have read this story. It's a bit long with a more to come. I do promise that.

**Chapter 7**

Central Command at Terminal City was ablaze with consisnt clatter and gossip as the news of what happened began to circulate. Mole shot Dix a look when he came up to his side. Mole was on the urge of chewing his precious cigar into shreds. Mole shot him a quick glance before turning his attention back to the monitors. Nothing seemed to be the same anymore since the incident, if they could even call it that.

The local news show had made it into a rain of bad. They simply portrayed the incident as an attack on humans by the Transgenics for forcing them to stay inside of Terminal City. That they actually thought that they were better than a 'regular' human was. Every Transgenic living in Terminal City knew that they were better than a mere 'regular' human. It had been brain washed into their brains since the day they were born. They were faster, stronger, and smarter than them. They could be dropped in a crowd of people and adapt to the lifestyle in mere moments, making them impossible to locate.

"Hey! Take a look at this," Dix pointed out causing Mole to look away from his screen. He pointed to a woman standing in front of the main gate holding what looked like a baby. She yelled a few harsh words before lighting the baby on fire and throwing it. "Oh…" He shot a glance over at Mole who looked both annoyed and shocked. "I didn't see that one coming."

"It's a human." Mole then shrugged. "What do you really expect from them? They think we're nothing better than a lab rat." He then shot a glance back at the screen. "Plus she's going to get her ass chewed off right about now." Dix opened his mouth to ask the question, but Mole simply pointed a picture to the screen. Dix turned his head to make out a figure in the screen. "Should be an interesting enough show."

----

The guards on the side of the gate shot the raging woman an arched look. She didn't seem to know what she really was doing. She had already set one child on fire, but what was keeping their attention was the young child in her arms. She held what appeared to be a knife in her hand to the child's throat. "Ma'am put the knife down," one of the guards said to the woman. He shot a glance at his partner. This wasn't in their training. "It's best to stay calm."

"Fuck calm," the woman snapped as she tightened her hold on the child. It gave out a small cry of fear. "Now I heard from that idiot Eyes Only that that bitch is here. I want to talk to her."

"Who?" the guard asked. Both knew who she was talking about. "It's not a good idea for you to swear in front of your children Ma'am."

"You heard me!" She let out a harsh curse. "I forgot that you were all idiots. No wonder they want to kill you all off. You're no smarter than a rock." She shot him a look before a wicked smile crossed her face. The guard shifted his weight nervously of her intentions. He had been on some unique missions but the way the woman was looking at him, told him that she was only looking to use him for one thing. "But I'm sure that they did make you for some other reasons."

"I'm sorry Ma'am but…" he started only to stop when a figure came out of the shadows.

"It's the Biggest Freak of them all!" the woman yelled as she took in Joshua. "Awe man, they really did mess you up. No wonder they threw you away. I don't even think a mother could love a face like that."

The guard shot Joshua a sympathetic look. The big guy had taken it rather hard hearing about what happened to Alec and Pip. They were part of his family. He would do anything for them. They had all heard how he had lost his temper when Max had told him. He had actually thrown her across command. It had taken a few X5's to restrain him. He had then disappeared for a few days until now. Joshua shot a glance over at the guard and then the woman. "Mad?" he asked. The guard simply nodded. "Never learn." He then turned his attention toward the small bundle not far from the main gate. It had stopped smoking, but even all the guards with their heightened skills could not make out the scent of burned flesh. It could be a decoy or a bomb even.

The guard reached out to stop Joshua as he moved forward. Joshua shot him a harsh look which stopped him cold. The woman made a sound as Joshua headed toward the bundle. "Get away from it!" she screamed rushing forward. "What you going to do with it? Eat it?" She chuckled then, causing them to look at her again. "Everyone knows that your kind goes loco more than humans do."

Max stopped a few feet behind Joshua as he came up toward the baby. Her eyes went to the two guards who were doing their best to keep the woman calm and not harming the other child. At times like this, Alec's help was grateful. His attitude could always keep anybody calm. Dealing with swearing humans wasn't one of Max's strong suites.

Joshua bent down next to the bundle and it let out a tiny scream, which caused Joshua to jump back. Max moved quickly to his side. He shot her a look of pure fear the moment she touched his side. "Easy, Big Fella," she whispered softly to him. She shot a glance toward the guards and then made a slight motion toward the woman. She reached out slowly toward the bundle. Her fingers touched singed fabric and warm flesh. She was taken back that she hadn't touched burnt flesh.

"Get away from him, Bitch!" the woman yelled at Max causing Joshua to growl. Max shot him a look that sent him moving back toward the guards. She picked up movement past them. Mole and Dix had done their job by getting the others in motion. Gem would be here. She would need her help when it to the children. "You have no right to touch him. You could even protect that bastard you dare call your child."

Max heard Joshua growl but she quickly threw out a hand to quiet him. She tuned out the raging woman as she took a hold of the bundle. She quickly scanned the tiny form inside of the fabric half expecting to find a doll, but was taken back by the blinking blue eyes. The baby cooed at her as he looked up at her. "Hey there," she whispered to him as she softly picked him up and got to her feet. She shot a glance toward the large group of X5's standing not that far from them. "Gem!"

In a blur of motion, Gem was at her side. Gem took the infant from Max's arms and was gone before anyone else could say a thing. Joshua turned to watch her go, before slowly turning to face Max. He saw a touch of pain in her face for a split second before it slipped back to the face the entire world knew. Max wasn't very happy at the moment and this woman was about to find out why you didn't piss Max off.

"Are you going to kill him now as well?" the woman hissed. "Seems that all your kind can do anymore."

Max let off a soft swear as she turned to face her. "Shut up!' she snapped at her, causing the others to jump.

"I grow really tired of this." The woman muttered something, as she tightened her hold on the child causing it to scream. "You don't want to do that."

"Oh course I do," the woman replied. "Now the question is. What are you going to do about it?"

TBC

Love it or hate it.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks again to those who've read it. As you may have noticed everyone is going to be in this one. As you may notice that this is not a fluffy fiction, but rather a darker one. _

**Chapter 8**

Max couldn't really couldn't believe what this woman was all about. She had seen people flip out before in the past, but this lady was way across the line. Max's eyes went to the crying child in the woman's arms. She had large eyes like Pip. Max took a second to collect her feelings. She knew that with this situation calm was what was needed not raw emotion.

"So?" the woman taunted her. "What are you going to do about it?" She shifted the knife again, causing the child to gasp out in fear.

"Well for one, I think we should talk," Max started as she started toward the fence. She motioned for the guards to stand their ground, knowing that if she asked them, they would be at her side. That's one thing that she was actually proud of it when it came to the others Xs who ran around Terminal City. They all had been trained the same, so no matter who gave the order, it was most likely followed. "It seems that you and I got off on the wrong foot."

The woman chuckled. "You think?" she barked. "I forget how slow you are." She shot a glance at the others and shot Max an arched look. "You needed help? I thought you were their leader. Doesn't that make you all powerful and what not?"

"Supposedly so," Max threw out. She hated being stereotyped. "So you want to tell me why you are standing outside of our front door holding a knife to your kid's throat?" She took a slight step back, crossing her arms over her chest not for one second taking her eyes off the woman. If the woman made one wrong move, Max knew that she could clear that fence and take her down, but the real question was if she could do it before she hurt the child.

"She has to die," the woman replied. "They all do. They are not of this earth. They were born in a lab. They are not humans. They don't have a soul." She shot Max a harsh look. "You don't have a soul."

"Oh joy," Max muttered, as she took in the woman. The child cried again causing Max's attention to jump back to the child. He had huge tears in his hazel eyes. "So if he is one of us. Who's his father?"

"Some stupid man who got drunk one night." The woman hiccupped. "Next thing I know, he's dropping off these two for me to take care of. Like I'm some kind of…"

"Wait a minute," Max started. "I just would mind to see the back of his neck if you wouldn't mind. Just to make sure that he's one of our kind." Everyone who knew anything about Transgenics, knew that the new generation who were born on the outside, rarely had barcodes. They were born 'free' as what Gem used with her baby, who was now a running toddler.

"Sure, sure," the woman mumbled. Max then took a moment to slid through the gate and up to the woman's side. The woman thrust out her child so that Max could see the back of his neck. She took in the bare skin of the child's neck. "See the…" She froze when she noticed that there was no mark of any kind. "What the… where did the mark go?"

Max shot the woman a look. "I don't know, Ma'am," she started. "Are you sure that there was a mark to begin with?" The woman lost her grip on the knife causing Max to react. She had been waiting for the right moment at the right time. She grabbed the child by the scruff of its shirt and yanked it hard out of the woman's grip. She fell backwards with a loud curse, before glaring up at Max who held the now quiet child. "But then again, anyone would know. That there is no mark on the next generations." The woman's face fell. "Thought so." She then turned to face the guards. "Take her into custody and find her a nice place to calm down." The guards then did as she told them. "Stupid people." She looked down at the kid in her arms. Her brown eyes meet a pair of sky blue ones. "It'll be okay. You're safe now." She looked up when Joshua came up to her side. "Can't promise you the world, but we'll at least promise you a somewhat safe life."

-------------------------

Alec swung on his chains, not really knowing what else to do. He was trying to think back to what really happen. To who if anybody got hurt or even killed. He was hoping for them hurt and not killed. They had lost so many since the beginning. As of this day he could clearly remember his days back at Manticore, days of hard lectures, training, and oh so much loved brain-washing.

And then he meet Max. A faint smile crossed his face. Max was something he never really expected. When it came to females at Manticore, he had found them rather boring, easy to use when the need came a calling. With Max he came across a force like no other. She wouldn't take orders and always did things her own way.

Alec sniffled and started to blink back the tears forming in his eyes. Max had freed them all from the life they had known, risking her life multiple times for everyone, not caring what their stories were. She had saved his butt he couldn't remember how many times. Even though the first time he meet her, he had found her rather annoying. She had always been in his business. Over time he had fallen in love for her. But there was Logan and that made life really hard.

He whistled softly as he spun in his chains. He was almost hoping that darling would come back to have a nice talk. He hated being alone in the dark. It reminded him too much of isolation. He could only hope that Pip was somewhere safe.

He froze in his spin when he thought of Pip. She was the best thing that happened to them. He could remember the day that he and Max had found her sitting on his door stop. She had been sent there by no other than White to draw Max out. Sad for him, that did not work. He got his butt kicked again by Max. The poor guy just didn't learn.

He started to spin again, not noting that the chains were getting tighter. He still could hear Pip's screams in his ears. He had left her to save the others. He had left her. No other explantion but he left her. That so him made him a horrid parent. Maybe Logan had been right about him and Max not being the best parents in the entire world to raise a child.

The sound of the door caught his attention and he quickly glanced up to see that it was the woman from before. She shot him a wicked smile as she came up to his side. He tried not to shiver as he ran a hand along his bare skin. "They did make you perfectly didn't they?" she whispered to him, as she circled him. Alec quickly got the vision of a prey being circled by the predator, ready to attack it then eat it. "It's a shame what they have planned for you and that baby."

Baby caught Alec's attention and he turned his gaze to her. The moment she felt his eyes on her, she broke out into a bigger smile. "Ah, that one is yours isn't she?" She moved closer. "If you're nice, I may even let you see her before they take her away."

Alec bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't really know what this woman was playing. He wasn't one for games. He had gone through hell when it came to what they did to him at Manticore. Solitary was almost paradise there. Being put in Psych-Ops was almost hell. You never really came back as yourself when you came back from a session there. He had seen what it had done to Max and some of his fellow unit mates. "What do you want?" he asked.

The woman looked at him before battering her eye lashes at him. "You love her," she said softly as she took him in. "This woman who that man is clearly not happy with. You may be apart but you still would do anything for her." Alec blinked and took her in. He almost swore then. She looked familiar before but he couldn't have really placed it. She placed a finger over his lips to quiet him. "Don't worry about it. I promise I won't tell. From what I can get, you won't be getting out of here alive anyways." She then shot him a look. "Pity, you would have been fun to play with." Then she turned and left him.

"And here I thought Max was a Bitch," Alec muttered as he watched her leave. "Guess I was wrong. That woman takes the cake." He then shot a glance up at the chains and smirked. "Better get my ass moving and figure out an escape. Since I won't be around for much longer."

Until another chapter----


	9. Chapter 9

_**Reader's Note: **_Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry for the massive delay on updating it. It got to the point where I was past 15 when I realized that I hadn't posted any chapters since 8. So here they are. Please enjoy.

**Chapter 9**

Pip watched as he came closer. He hadn't really changed all that much since she had dealt with him last. He looked a bit more worn around the edges, and his hair was shorter, but all in all he was the same Ames White, enemy to every transgenic out there.

Ames moved closer, causing Pip to move back away from him. In all the time she had been around him, she had come to a quick idea of how evil he really was. He had almost raised his own son to be some prophesied thing for this group of freaks. Pip knew from what she had heard her parents talk about, that they were not to be messed with. It was like a transgenic on steroids. It wasn't a good thing.

Ames reached out and touched the side of Pip's face, causing her to jerk away. "You are so much like her," he whispered. "More than you'll ever really know."

"I'm nothing like her," Pip replied not realizing what she said. She loved her parents, but it was kind of tiring to be paired up with her mom. "I'm…." She stopped herself short. She really didn't know who she was. She was created for a dark purpose that she still didn't know.

A wicked smile crossed Ames' face. "You're what?" he asked, before he moved into a more comfortable position. "You're upset with being labeled as Max's daughter? Just say the word and you can go back to being a number. Simple as that."

Fire flashed through Pip's eyes as she jerked back away. "I am not a number!" she threw out at him. "Just because I was made in some lab for some dark purpose, doesn't give you the right to make me a number. I am a person. I have a soul . I have a family who loves me and will do anything for me."

"How sure you are about that?" Pip shot him a look. "How sure are you that they are still alive? You don't know who got hurt and who didn't. Of course 452 is still alive, but will she take a chance with the other's lives to come rescue you."

Pip bit down on her bottom lip. She really didn't know what to say. The last time she had been captured she had been rescued by Krit and the others. Now she didn't even know if he was still alive. She remembered Alec telling her to stay back. Stay where it was safe. She was stronger than a normal child, yet they always seemed to treat her as a child. "You don't know anything…"

"And neither do you." Ames chuckled softly. "You still think that you have a place in their little unit. Don't you realize that they know what you are? That you are a plaque to them. They can't get close to you, or you'll end up killing them." He shot her a look. "Are they treating you any different? Are they keeping you at arms length? Tell me, 946, have they changed?"

Pip gritted her teeth as she looked over at him. "The name is Pip," she snapped. "I know that it's hard for you to remember everyone's name, but let it sink through that thick head of yours. My name is Pip. I am not a simple number."

"Whatever you say, 946," Ames muttered as he got to his feet. "I want you to sit and think about what I said. Who knows maybe your 'mom' will come join us for tea." He then turned and left. Pip could hear the door locking behind him.

"Join us for tea?" Pip whispered as she moved back on her small cot trying to get comfortable. "What is he thinking?" She drew her knees up to her chest as the words he had said, began to sink in. They had been treating her differently. Maybe Logan had gotten to Max about how horrible Pip really was. She never really did care for Logan. He had come between her parents more than once since she had found them. "Have they?" As she asked herself, her mind drifted back to the past. Maybe there was something hidden in the past that she had missed.

**_A month earlier_**

**_Terminal City_**

_It had been raining. Not a new thing for Seattle. For Pip she found it refreshing. Like her parents she had feline D.N.A. in her, so she really shouldn't like rain, but she did. She stood at the edge of the parking lot watching the traffic going on below. She never really was allowed out past the border. It wasn't safe for their kind._

_She shifted a small ball between her hands. Mole had given to her, not really saying why. Simply giving her the impression that she wasn't needed or even wanted in the Control Center. She tossed the ball up in the sky. She had tried to find someone to play with, but they had all been busy. She didn't know where Krit was, or even Max. She was alone to find something to do._

_She glanced down at the ball in her hands. So many of the younger Xs really didn't even know how to play. They still were stuck in 'Manticore' mode, waiting for the next order. She heard child-like laughter to her left and glanced out to see a group of normal children running around on the other side of the fence, playing a game of some sort. She stood there for a few seconds trying to figure out the purpose of the game. One child tried to catch the others while trying not to get touched. It didn't make sense._

_"It's what they call tag," a voice whispered to her, causing her to gasp and spin around to face her father. She shot Alec a smile before rushing forward to give him a hug. "Figured I'd find you here." When she shot him a curious look he couldn't help but smirk. "It's your mother's thing." He motioned around them. "She always had a thing for heights."_

_"Why?" Pip never really understood why her mom liked high spaces. "What's so special about being up high?"_

_"It's a safe place," a soft voice called out causing Pip to spin around to see Max coming toward them. She shot them both a forced smile. Both knew that something terrible had happened. The way Max was carrying herself told them volumes. Alec reached out and drew Max close. She automatically curled up into his side, burying her face into his worn T-shirt. "It's a place to feel safe."_

_Pip shot a look at her parents. They had had a huge blow up a few weeks ago. Both decided for the best of everyone that them trying to be a couple was not a good thing. That they worked better apart. So Alec moved in with a group of Xs out of Terminal City, leaving Max inside to run things. They both worked together, just not together. When it came to what to do with Pip they did what the normal humans did. They split custody with her, each having her for a certain time._

_"Safe place?" Pip asked, glancing around. It didn't feel very safe to her. "How is it a safe place?" Her eyes darted across the street, taking in all possible risks. Even though she acted like a normal every day kid, her genes and her training was still there. She always was on the look out for everything._

_"It's an '09er thing," Max replied softly. Her hand went to the small charm around her neck. Pip could remember when Alec had given her it. It was supposed to be the 'blue lady', who ever she was. No one really talked much about her. Max shot Pip a soft smile. "Maybe some time we'll take you up to the Space Needle. Let you see all of Seattle from a bird's view."_

_"Cool," Pip replied, causing both Max and Alec to chuckle. Pip turned to watch the kids. "There is strategy in that game. I know it, just can't figure it out." Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Alec asking Max a question that got a sad look from her face. "So who's going to teach me it?" She spun around to face her parents with a smile on her face. "I mean come on, if some simple normal kids can figure it out, so can we. Right?"_

_"Yeah," Alec replied as he came up to her side. "Come on, maybe we can get Joshua in on it."_

_"Just don't let him see that ball," Max called out as she took a second to glance out at the kids. Her hands went to her chest as she thought of how things would have been. She shook her head. "Nope." She turned and joined the two of them. "Let's see how well we can figure this out."_

_The next few hours were spent playing, just simple games. Pip hadn't seen her parents happy like this for a long while. It had sadly ended when something important came up, forcing Max and Alec to take off, leaving Pip behind. She then took up her ball and headed back to her 'safe spot'._

Pip shivered. "They aren't treating me any different," she whispered to herself. "They just are busy. It's hard doing what they are doing."

**_More to come_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Reader's Note: **_Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry for the massive delay on updating it. It got to the point where I was past 15 when I realized that I hadn't posted any chapters since 8. So here they are. Please enjoy.

**Chapter 10**

Gem and Sly were looking after the new additions to the Terminal City Infirmary under the watchful eye of Joshua. He began to pace back and forth, not really knowing what else to do. Gem and Sly were doing their best to take care of the kids. "Josh, sit down," Gem barked softly, causing the big guy to jump slightly. "I'm sorry Josh, but you're pacing isn't helping my nerves."

"Touche today, Miss Gem," a cheerful male voice called out, causing both Gem and Sly to stop what they were doing. Gem shot a quick glance over at Sly to see that her face had turned white. "Guys, what no cheery hello today?" Zane's quirky smile fell away the moment he saw the bodies on the cots. His eyes shot to Sly's face. "What?"

"Sit," Sly ordered, ushering Zane to an empty chair. "There's not a lot of time to explain what really happened. It's nothing really…" She bit down on the inside of her lip to keep from saying anymore, not really knowing what there was to say.

"Something big though," Zane replied back. He motioned to his fallen companions. "I think this is really important. I get the feeling I missed out on something really big." He then ran a hand over his face. "So what's the damage?"

"We're lost a few and we've still got some missing in action." Sly picked up the squirming toddler and handed him over to Zane. "Plus a few new additions." She shot Gem a look. "We haven't really gotten around to naming them yet."

"Thought thinking up names was a Max thing," Zane replied, as he looked down at the kid in his lap. "So who's missing?" Joshua shot Zane a harsh look. "I'm guessing from that look, Pip for sure." He looked at the others. "Biggs?" They shook their head no, before motioning toward one of the beds. "Alec?" They nodded. "Bet Max isn't happy. So the third has to be…"

"Max…" Joshua called out.

"No, Max wouldn't be that stupid," Zane muttered only to look up to see Max. "Oh, hey Max…" The sound of a slap was heard throughout the infirmary. Zane rubbed the side of his face. "Ah, Max, what did I do to deserve that?"

"You…" Max started only to turn to face the others. "You lied to me." She took a step back shaking her head. "That is unacceptable. We're in such a hardship we can't have lies flying about." She let out a sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. She shot a harsh glance over at Zane. "If you weren't with them, where were you?"

"Taking a shift with Cecile," Zane replied with out blinking. Max's face fell softly as took a second to remember what had happened. Cecile had been one of the few X5s that they had rescued from White's care. She had been tortured by Psy-Ops, those trained to manipulate brains. She wasn't the solider she had been when the ones who knew her knew her. She was a shell now. So some of the others had taken to helping her get back into normal life. It as an on going job that made it hard for everyone.

"How is she?" Max asked. "I didn't have time to see her today." Max wrapped her arms around her waist. She hadn't had time to see a lot of any of the wounded. She had been so worried about Alec and Pip, among some other things.

"Why not ask her yourself," Zane replied softly motioning behind Max. She turned to come face to face with the X5 commonly known to the world as Cecile. Her black hair was thin and her eyes sunken in. She wore clothes that seemed to be a few sizes too big. "Hey C, how you doing today?"

"I heard a baby cry, sir," she replied looking up at Max. "I was confused." She shifted her weight, causing Max to look more at her. "There are no infants in the barracks."

A soft smile crossed Max's face. "No, you were not confused." She motioned toward the baby and the toddler in Zane's arms. "See, for yourself. You were not confused." She watched as Cecile walked toward Zane. "Maybe you want to help us name them?"

Cecile grabbed the back of the toddlers head and pushed it down harshly. The toddler cried out in fear, causing Zane to tighten his hold on him. "Hush!" Cecile ordered, causing the X5s to look at her. She roughly shoved the toddler's head from side to side. "Where is their…"

"Cecile stop!" both Max and Gem ordered. Max shot her friend a look which she simply ignored. Gem reached out to stop Cecile's movement only to have the X5 to react without thinking. Gem soon found herself on the floor at Max's feet. Zane quickly was on his feet, handing the infant off to Sly, as he moved to stop Cecile. "Cecile stand down."

"You are not my CO!" Cecile yelled back. "I will only answer to him." Then she was gone in a blur.

"And they thought you were a bitch," Zane replied softly, as he came up to help Gem to her feet. "Sorry, Max, we all thought she was doing better. We know that you don't need anything more on your plate then what you have."

"That's about right," Max replied with a soft sigh. Her eyes drifted over to the new members of Terminal City. "So now comes the main question?" A look of fear flashed through Gem's eyes for a second. "Is what do we name these guys?" She moved forward and took the toddler from Sly. He shot her a look with eyes as clear as the sky. She ruffled his blondish hair. "Any ideas?"

"We were thinking about Thatch for this little guy," Gem stated as she took up the infant. "Since he has a thing for fire." Max smiled then as she nodded before coming up to look at him. "If that's okay with you? We all know how you like to name."

"It's perfect," she mouthed. "Now what do we name you?" The toddler looked at her before muttering a single world. The others stopped in their actions and looked back at the toddler. "Then I guess he has spoken."

"We can only hope he doesn't turn out like his name sake," Zane muttered, causing Max to look up at him. "I mean I understand why he did it, but I'm not proud of his actions."

"We're not all proud of our actions." Max shot a glance down at the toddler in her arms and smirked. "Alec is his twin. What if he takes after him?"

"Dear God!" was the only thing heard echoed by more then three X5s. Max chuckled as she ruffled the toddler's hair once more.

"Welcome to the family, Ben," she whispered to him. "Hope this life is worth doing again."

She turned to go when the baby started crying. She paused and shot a glance over at the baby. Her changed for a second, growing softer. "So how's he doing?"

"He's doing good," Gem replied. "Strong little fellow." She shot Max a sour look. "I'm sorry that I lied to you about Zane." Max reached out and took the baby from her. "We didn't want to stress you out anymore than you were."

"Kind of late for that."

**_More to Come...._**


	11. Chapter 11

Fractured

_**Reader's Note: **_Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry for the massive delay on updating it. It got to the point where I was past 15 when I realized that I hadn't posted any chapters since 8. So here they are. Please enjoy.

**Chapter Eleven**

It was still raining when they hit city limits. Their training kept them in the shadows, not drawing any unwanted attention to themselves. As they crept along, they could hear the rumors being said about the woman who had lit her baby on fire instead of handing it over to the Transgenics. Zach paused in front of a screen that was replaying the woman's testimony. There were flash backs to how Max had taken care of the situation.

"We have to keep moving," his companion whispered to him, causing him to smirk as he followed her. Ever since he had come back, he really hadn't been the same. Brin was one of the very few who knew it. Max and Alec were the other two. Both had been there when he had tried to kill Logan to gain Max's love for him, among some other things. Those were days he'd rather forget than anything.

"Did you hear about the child?" a woman asked a man, while standing in line to get through the Sector Gate. "They say that they left her to help simple kids. Shows us right, they don't care about their own kind."

Brin's eyes flashed over to glance up at Zach and she mouthed. "946?" Before turning and taking a step forward, only to be stopped by the Sector Guard. "Excuse me." She took a step back, and Zach moved forward, sliding an arm around her, keeping her close. "I didn't…"

"So where are love birds off to?" the Guard asked, glancing over his clipboard at them. "Kind of late to be walking about."

"Late run," Zach replied, pulling out his well used and very worn Jam Pony Sector Pass. "Some big shot wanted us to make sure the ring he had ordered got to him before he actually popped the question."

"Lucky Bastard," the man snorted, as he flashed his light on them for a second. "Go on through." They then did just that. "Next…" He then turned his attention back to the line.

They made it a few blocks, before Brin broke the silence. "I don't think that woman was right, sir," she threw out, shooting him a look. "We were taught never to leave our own behind. No transgenic would have done that. So they were mistaken." She took a second to adjust the color of her coat. His eyes went to her actions. She acted too much like a solider at times. Her eyes flashed over to his. "Weren't they?"

Zach shrugged, as he kept going. His main goal for the night was to aquire somewhere nice and warm for the night. He had hoped to meet up with Alec and Max in the morning to figure this all out. But if his sources had been right, he'd only be meeting up with Alec and trying to figure out what had gone wrong. "We all were taught the same thing, Brin," he replied softly. He spotted what looked to be an empty warehouse and motioned for her to head toward it. "But we've all seen those who don't take that to heart at times." He still hurt from taking on a rogue Transgenic who had tried to kill Brin a month ago.

"Of course," she replied as she opened the door and moved to step inside. "Much like some of our fellow unit."

"Ah and here I thought you loved us, Brin," a voice called out of the shadows, causing them both to glance up to see a very familiar face on the steps, heading down in their actions. "Guess I thought wrong." He shot Zach a faint smile. "Sir." Even though they were not a part of the same unit anymore, he still thought of Zach as a leader. When it came to following orders though, he'd follow Max anytime.

"What are you doing here?" Brin asked, reaching out to grab his arm. "You're out of the pramiter. You're disobeying a direct order."

For the first time in a few weeks, Krit laughed, only to wince. "Don't make me laugh," he replied softly, as he took her in. Brin never had been one of the unit mates he had gotten close to. When it came to those he talked to, he spent his time with Max, Zane, or even Ben. He never had gotten close to Brin. Even though she was part of the 'family' she was too military. His gaze flickered between her and Zach. "Disobeying a direct order? I don't remember you giving me an order."

"It was best to stay inside," Zach replied, causing Krit to shot him a glance. "That's why Max chose that place to stay rather than any other. She knew that we could live there and not be harmed. She knew what she was doing." His eyes flickered over Krit and he frowned when he noticed that he was bleeding. "So you want to tell me why you're about ready to pass out at Brin's feet? And how you got wounded?"

Krit let out a sigh, knowing that he wouldn't get out of this for anything. He simply shrugged as he turned and headed back upstairs. At the moment all he wanted to do was sit down or pass out. Standing on the steps, wasn't the best place to pass out. He didn't want to have to explain any more bruises than he already had to Gem or Sly.

"So did this happen on one of Max's little adventures to save the world?" Brin asked, causing both Krit and Zach to smirk. At times her jealousy of Max was as clear as day to everyone except for her. She swore softly as Krit came to the stop of the stairs and walked out into the open area. The windows had been broken out, allowing the outside world in. "What is it with you all and high places?"

"It was Ben's thing," Krit replied, as he moved over to where someone had left a beaten couch and sank down on it. He let out a soft hiss, as pain rushed through his body. He glanced up at Zach. "Figured you'd know why." Zach nodded as he went to look out the window. "And to answer your question, Brin, no…this wasn't Max's doing. This was our own. We saw a person in need, so we rushed into it without thinking. And a few of us got hurt and a few got taken."

"Taken?" both Brin and Zach asked at the same time. "Like who? Like how?" Everyone in the room knew that it wasn't an easy task to take down any Transgenic. They had been trained since the day they were born how to fight. "Who was hurt?"

"Biggs for sure," Krit replied, allowing his head to fall back as he tried to remember what happened. "Axel got hurt…" He bit down on his lip trying to remember how it goes. All he could hear was Pip's scream. "I know for sure that…" He rubbed his eyes and glanced up at them and frowned. "Why are you here? This happened only a few days ago. That's too fast for it to reach you." Brin shot Zach a look, that Krit had seen many times between Max and Alec. "Don't beat about the bush with me. I'm an '09er just like you. I can handle just about anything at the moment."

Zach let out a deep breath. "We've been monitoring the situation since what happened last time with 946," he started. "We wanted to make sure that no one got caught or did anything stupid."

"946?" Krit threw out, causing them to glance at him. He wiped the back of his hand over his lips for a second before shooting Zach a harsh glare. "Her name is Pip, well Dakota actually, but she'd rather go by Pip." He ducked his head as he coughed, swearing slightly when he saw traces of blood on his hand. "You would know that if you ever got close to her. She's not a plaque. She's just an awesome little girl, who's as part as this 'unit' as I am. She's been through a lot."

Brin snorted at that last comment. "She's not a member of this 'unit'," she barked. "She wasn't there when we escaped. She didn't see them shot anybody."

"Brin calm down," Zach ordered, as he moved closer to Krit's side. He hunched down next to him. "The reason why we are here is because we got news of the attack a few weeks back. And I'm guessing from how you are holding yourself, the attack where you got hurt." He then frowned. "You want to fill us in on the rest? My sources say that Max is missing."

"What?" Krit threw out, almost jumping to his feet. "No….she wasn't there." He let out a curse. "She doesn't know. Oh god she's going to kill me." He ran a hand through his hair before shooting his fellow unit mates a harsh glare. "Don't get me wrong, but when It comes to you guys I know you can kick my ass five ways from last Thursday, but Max scares the shit out of me."

"Fair enough," Zach replied. "So you want to tell us what happened?"

Krit frowned then. "Sure I got all the time in the world, because the moment Max sees me I'm dead. I'd rather be alive for the moment then face her wrath." So he settled back and started to fill them in.

**_More to come…._**


	12. Chapter 12

Fractured

_**Reader's Note: **_Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry for the massive delay on updating it. It got to the point where I was past 15 when I realized that I hadn't posted any chapters since 8. So here they are. Please enjoy.

**Chapter Twelve**

Getting out seemed somewhat easier in his mind than in reality, Alec soon found out. He had lost track of how long he had been hanging there. The words of that woman still echoed in his mind. He had to get back to Max and had to find Pip. If anything happened to her, neither Alec or Max would know to do. If it happened on his watch, Max would never forgive Alec ever.

The chains swung back and forth, turning him this way and that, as he tried to figure out how to get the hell out of here. The cuffs were starting to dig into his wrists, but that didn't bother him. He had been trained like they all had, how to get out of sticky situations like this one. He had been trying to recall the layout, as much as he remembered seeing or could see from here. So far he'd maybe count a handful of armed guards. They wouldn't be a problem, it was the Familiars he'd sure have a problem with.

The door creaked opened caused him to glance up to see 'her' coming back in with a very familiar face. He swore softly as he took him in. "What no warm and happy greeting for me, 494?" White joked as he stepped forward into the light. Alec quickly took in the fact that he looked older. "That's right you weren't as big of a talker as 452 was."

"Was, Sir?" she asked him, causing Ames to frown. "Thought the rumors said she was still alive. Not barely, but still alive." A look of confusion ran through her eyes. "I mean after all you need for the future." Before she could open her mouth to ask another question, White back handed her. She swore softly as she took a step back. Her eyes drifted over to where Alec hung before she dropped them to the floor.

White shot Alec a harsh look. "Sorry about that, you know how hard it is to get good help these days. Especially after they had been released and no longer have that training engraved into their minds." He ran his hands together before taking a step forward. "Such a pity to waste such merchandise." His eyes drifted over to her. "Bring her in."

Alec swung around not really knowing what to expect another round of torture or something all together different. The sound pitter patter of feet caught his attention and he froze, watching as the woman ushered in one of the two leading ladies of his life. Pip shot him a look as the woman forced her at her side. She looked somewhat alright, maybe a bit on the malnourished side, but then again they all were like that. A full course meal to them was what they could get on the go.

She still wore the clothes she had on the day of the attack. His eyes ran over them quickly glancing for any signs for blood, and he was relieved when he found none. She seemed okay, but then again these guys didn't limit their torture to just physical. "See she's alive," White replied, as he moved back toward Pip's side. He reached out and touched the back of her head, causing her to jerk away from his touch. Alec couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry in time, she may even think of me as a father."

Anger flashed through Alec's eyes, which only got White to smile, as he took Pip from the woman. He held her in front of him as he moved forward, stopping within striking distance of Alec. "You would use a child as shield," Alec threw out at him. "Even low on your level." He shot a glance around and then smirked at White. "What? Just you? None of your lackeys to back you up this time."

"No I just wanted her to simply watch as we torture her father to death," Ames replied before nodding. Alec let out a gasp as a sharp pain went through his side. He had totally forgotten about the other for the moment. His eyes landed on Pip's face to see sheer horror there. He bit down on his bottom lip to keep from crying out. He could only watch as the tears started to fall down Pip's face. "And for your question, it is just me. After we take care of you, 946 will not be much of a problem. I can handle her."

Alec scoffed at Ames as he fought the urge to scream. "Yeah, right dude. You only think that." He gasped as the other man stabbed him again.

White hunched down beside Pip's side. "All you have to do is say yes and I'll spare him," he whispered to her, causing her to shoot him a harsh look. "Or say no and watch him die. The choice is yours."

"Then you'd have to kill me as well," Pip replied glancing over at him. "Because there is no way I will ever say 'yes'." She turned to glance up at Alec to see that he had a look of admiration in his eyes. She had done at least good by him. "I'm too much like my parents. Sorry Mr. White, but the answer will be no."

"Fine…" Ames sneered as he got to his feet. His eyes drifted to the woman's and he smirked. "Make her suffer. Make her mind mush if you have to, and then bring her to me. I just need the DNA, I don't need the mouth."

The woman shot him an icy smirk. "Of course." She then waited for him to leave before looking the other man. "You can go as well. I can handle the two of them." The man then followed Ames out shutting the door behind them. She then turned to face Alec and frowned. "Couldn't have just stayed boxing?" She moved forward. "There was good money in that."

Alec shot her a look before a faint smile crossed his face. "I know you," he whispered to her, only a second before he went limp. The woman shot Pip a smirk, before moving forward. "Mind reader…"

"Something like that," she whispered to him, as she reached up only to freeze when she saw Pip glaring at her. "Relax, Mini Max, I'm just here to help you out. Figured I owe them. They helped me out once upon a time." She reached up and released Alec from his chains. He slumped down against her. "How does the idea of getting out of here sound?"

"Won't he know?" Pip asked not really know what was doing on. This could be a trap for all she knew. "I mean after all…." She shot a glance up at Alec. He was bleeding rather badly and she knew that he had to be taken care of.

"Psyops," Alec whispered causing her to glance at the woman. "She's one of them. She's either a mind reader or something. She's one of us."

"I push thoughts into people's minds," she replied softly. "Told him that this would take a while and to check back in like five hours. Hopefully by then we'll be gone." She shrugged. "Tatics wasn't my strong suit, that was more of the X-series. I just was there to brainwash them or fry their brains when they defaulted."

"Lovely memory," Alec whispered only to shoot Pip a look. "Come on, pip squeak. Let's venture on home. Your mom has got to be flipping out by now."

_**More to come....**_


	13. Chapter 13

Fractured

_**Reader's Note: **_Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry for the massive delay on updating it. It got to the point where I was past 15 when I realized that I hadn't posted any chapters since 8. So here they are. Please enjoy.

**Chapter Thirteen**

Max was holding a toddler 'Ben' when Bugler rushed in. She shot him a faint smile, remembering when she had first rescued him. Alec had been there. It had been their first week after she had taken down Manticore. "Hey, Bugler," she called out to him as he came running toward her side. The look on his face told her almost all that she needed to know. "What wrong?"

Bugler stopped within inches of her. "Ma'am, there is a visitor here to see you," she replied. "The guards told me to go get you. Says he doesn't have a pass." He shot a look at the baby. "Are congrats in order Ma'am?"

Max couldn't help but chuckle as she shot a glance down at the toddler. She took in the hazel eyes. Alec had been Ben's twin, so the baby could almost be Alec's. She shook her head slightly before turning to glance at Bugler. "Say again?" she asked. All the guards knew who was allowed in and out. There were no sector passes to get in and out.

"He says he doesn't have a pass," Bugler reported, biting on his bottom lip. He didn't know if he had done right or wrong. A lot has changed since the fire and Max finding them. "Did I do wrong, Ma'am?"

A soft smile crept over Max's face as she moved forward and hunched down next to Bugler. "No, you did nothing wrong," she said softly as she glanced down at the toddler. "Bugler, I'd like you to meet Baby 'Ben'." She quickly motioned for him to reach out, and she gently handed him the baby. "I need for you to take him back to Gem now. Can you do that?" He shot her a wide smile before nodded. Of all the ones she had encountered since the fire, there were only a few who made her smile and Bugler had to be one of them. "Then hop to it." He nodded before carefully taking off to do what he had been ordered to. Max watched them for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

The guards shot Max a look as she came up toward the gate and she froze. "We didn't know, ma'am," an X-6 replied, shooting a glance through the gate at the man standing on the other side. "Never really have seen him around here that often."

"I come in good graces," a familiar voice called through the gate causing Max to shake her head before moving forward. She peered through the gate to see the familiar face of Normal, her old boss at Jam Pony. "I didn't know if I was allowed to stop by, but i….was worried. After all that has happened…I wanted to see if the baby was doing okay."

"Which one?" Max called out to him as she nodded and the guards swung the doors open. "Cause our nursery is getting a bit full." He stepped inside and she instantly took on the limp. "Normal, what happened?" The gate shut behind him causing him to jump slightly. "It's okay you're safe here." That got a dry chuckle from Normal. "Never thought the words you and safe were supposed to be in the same sentence." He then winced before he coughed. Max's eyes drifted to the spot where he rubbed his hand off, there was a smear of blood there. Something had happened. "I just…"

"I'm sure Gem will be as pleased as punch to see you," she replied, causing him to smile wearily. "They are the main reason why you are here after all. Unless you're looking to hire back some of your messengers."

Normal chuckled again, wincing as he was doing. "Please don't make me laugh," he hissed as he shot a glance around. "You guys made it nice in here. Used to remember being dared to venture here as a kid." He coughed again. "So she is okay…?"

A blond haired boy came toward them and froze when they saw Normal. Max shot a glance over her shoulder to see that it was Dalton, the young boy who had helped Gem through most of it all. She waved him over and he shot her a faint smile before glancing over at Normal. "Dalton, you remember Normal," she said softly, wrapping an around his shoulder. Something had happened on the outside, to those who had helped them all before. She needed time to slip aside and see what had happened. "We were just on our way over the infirmary to see Gem and Eve. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes, I remember him," Dalton replied as he offered his hand to Normal. "I did forget to thank you, Sir, for all that you did to help us. Ever since the Pulse, I never really did have a family until Gem found me. Then she made it so that I had one." He shot a glance over at Max. "I am actually looking for Gem. She seems to want me to look after Eve, Thatch and Ben. Do I dare ask?"

That got a faint smile on Max's face. "Well of course you may ask," she said softly. "Thatch and Ben are our newest additions." Her eyes gazed over at Normal to see that he could barely stand. "Hey look there's Josh." At the mention of Joshua, Normal turned around only to get a hug. "Easy there, Josh."

Normal shot Joshua a look. It had taken even Sketchy a while to get used to the 'abnormals' who lived here as well. When you thought of the perfect solider, images of Alec, Briggs, and Zane came first to your mind. You didn't think of beings like Joshua or Mole at all. "It's good to see you too," Normal said softly before he went limp. Joshua quickly caught him, holding him close, as one would do a small child. He shot a glance over at Max as if asking that it wasn't his fault that he had fainted.

"It's okay Joshua," she said softly as she came up to Normal's side. She reached out and gently checked him for a pulse. He had one but not a very strong one. She shot a glance over at Dalton. "Go, tell them to ready a bed." He took off as fast as he humanly could. An X6 stopped to glance in their direction and Max motioned for them. He then helped Joshua carry Normal to the infirmary. Max took a second to take a breath. "What the fuck is going on?" She then took off to find out just that.

_**More to come....**_


	14. Chapter 14

Fractured

Fractured Chapter 14

For anyone who had meet Normal knew that he could be kind of a hard person to work for. He stuck to what he believed was right. It wasn't until the siege on Jam Pony, that his opinion on Transgenics had been changed. The moment he helped bring young Eve into the world. Those who had worked for him paused as he came rushing by. Cece's eyes snapped to Max's as she came up to her side. "Keep them back," she said softly. "I have to do some recon to figure out what happened."

"Yes, Ma'am," Cece replied as she barked out orders, setting up a ten foot perimeter. Cece watched as Max slipped away, doing the best that she could. Cece then stood by the doorway and watched as Gem and Sly began to work on Normal. A few others who had been trained in medical jumped in when asked, but mostly all just simply stayed back and stared.

"MOLE! DIX!" Max called out, as she rushed into the Command Center, both jumped at her voice. "I need Logan and Sketchy now."

"Why?" both asked, before turning to do just that. "It's not like…"

"Normal was attacked," Max replied, as she sank down in the chair usually taken by Alec. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, as she watched them work. She shivered, and reached out to pick up Alec's well coveted leather jacket. He got tired of having to replace them when a mission went bad that he simply didn't wear it anymore. She traced the worn leather, remembering how it felt on him. Since their last fight it had been hard being around him at times. "I need to know why and where?"

"Normal, the human, was attacked?" Mole asked, turning to face her. "So? It's not our problem. He's a human…"

"Who has helped us out in the past and came here because he didn't know where else to go." Max let out a sigh. "Just see what you can find…" She leaned her head back. She wasn't the strongest when it came to being a leader, but with the help of the others she did alright. With Alec as her second in command, those who were from Manticore normally looked up to him rather than her, but in the end they followed both of them when it came to orders. At the moment her world was shattered, she didn't know who was missing or who was dead. All she wanted was her 'family' close.

A bandaged arm slid around Max causing her to jump. She glanced up to see the bandaged face of Biggs. "You should be in bed," she whispered to him, as he sat down next to her. "You're not okay to be up on your feet are you?"

"Both Docs gave me an ok," Biggs replied. "Plus they kind of needed my bed. Funny a year ago I'd never even think of giving up my place for a normal, and here I gave it up to 'Normal'. It's the least I could do." He let out a deep breath, causing Max's eyes to fly away from the screens to look at him. "It's okay, just a bit on the owie side. Plus Cece told me you'd need some company along with Bugler, Joshua, Sly, and Gem. Being that Alec can't be here."

Max nodded not really knowing what to say to that. She hadn't really realized it herself that she relied on Alec a lot more than she wanted to let on. Zach had always taught them to rely on themselves for once they were apart from their unit, they were that a part. Zach had shown how he had left about Pip and even Alec and Biggs when Pip got kidnapped. She was just a simple number to him. "Thanks," she replied softly.

"So what gives?" Biggs asked, causing the others to turn to face him. "Normal was a good guy in the eyes of almost everyone after the attack. So why attack him now. We're not using him for anything anymore are we?"

"No…" Max answered. "With the thermal readers at the sector gates, we dare not send anyone through using a sector pass. We have learned to get around them." She shifted her weight before turning her attention back to Mole and Dix. "Either of you guys got Sketchy and Logan yet?"

"Both are awol," both answered. "Not answering their home lines, pagers, or cells. Got to wonder why we even bother with them half the time."

"Keep trying to get a hold of them," Max ordered as she got down and shot Biggs a look. "Feel up for a bit of recon?" He nodded before she turned to face the others. "Set us to high alert. Only those who have clearance can enter." Her eyes drifted around to the common area not that far from them. She could see Dalton there with some of the others. They had worked too hard for this kind of life to simply have it thrown aside because someone didn't think they weren't allowed it. She shot Biggs a look which got him to smile. "Let's go."

"After you," he replied and did just that, following her. They all knew that Max would bring them out of the darkness. They didn't care if it was etched in her DNA, to them Max was the one who released them and brought them together. She was their leader even without her asking to be. Some were loyal still to their unit leaders, but when it came to following her orders, most did without second guessing her.

Once outside of the Command Center, Max stopped short and Biggs almost collided with her. Cecile stood in front of them. "Something bad is going to happen," she whispered only to turn and head off, most likely trying to locate one of the unmated X5s.

"Is she getting more creepier every day or is it just me?" Biggs asked watching her go. When his companion didn't reply, he shot Max a look. "Max, you okay?" He chuckled softly. "You can't take what Cecile says to fact. Heck half her brain isn't really there."

Max shot him a harsh glare but she quickly smirked. "I know," she replied. "It's just right now I don't want to think of anything else going bad. I want our people home, and for us to spend some time not having to worry about attacks on anyone. We've lost so many already." She turned her back to Biggs as the tears started to fall.

Biggs slid his arms around Max's shoulders and pulled her back into him. She turned and buried her face into his shirt, letting the tears fall. Tears she had for the wounded, the fallen, for Biggs, Alec, and Pip. She sniffled as she glanced up at Biggs. "It's okay to cry," he whispered to her. "Alec does it at times as well, but he'd die before he admit it."

"Thanks, Biggs," she replied softly before taking a moment to fix the collar on Alec's jacket, she had snagged. "Shall we?" She turned and then headed for the secret passageway to the outside, with Biggs right behind her. She knew that he wouldn't really ask where they were going. He knew the moment she had asked about Normal.

Until Next Time...


End file.
